Post base



Dec. 1 ,1925- 1,5641@ L. PoNsoLLE POST BASE Filed Auz. 12. 1921 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES LON PONSOLLE, OF ANGERS, FRANCE.

POST BASE.

Application filed August 12, 1921. Serial No. 491,816.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1921, 41, STAT. Il., 1313.)

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LON PoNsoLLE, a citi* zen of the French Republic, and residing in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, 16 Rue de Bel-Air, France, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Post Bases (for which I have filed application in France, October 8, 1917 Patent No. 487,094), of which the following is a complete speciiication.

The invention relates to means for protecting from decay the parts or portions of posts and poles, which are near the ground and which, as is well known, is liable to rot.

The invention consists of a cement foot adapted to be removably secured to the lower end of the post or pole to extend below the same and a distance above the ground in which the post or pole is planted, and which is provided with means for draining off the water which runs down the post into the foot, and also with means for permitting a circulation of air around the post or pole, whereby the life of the post or pole is greatly prolonged.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improvement applied;

Figure 1EL is a longitudinal Section of a portion of the foot;

Figure 1b is a transverse section of the same;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a modification;

Figure 2a is a longitudinal section of a portion of the foot;

Figure 2b is a. transverse section of the same;

Figure 3 is an elevation of an electric iron ole' p Figure 4 is an elevation of another modii'ication;

Figure 4.a is a longitudinal section of a portion of the foot;

Figure 4b is a transverse section of the same;

Figure 5 is an elevation of an iron pole;

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view partly in section, of the foot shown in Figure 1;

Figure 6a is an elevation of a rest or support for the post;

Figure 6b is an elevation of a washer; and Figure 6c is a modified form of washer. Referring to Figures 1, 1a, 1b and 6, of the drawing the foot A is in the form of a are 'clamped upon the wooden post or pole -1 i B. Spring washers C are preferably arranged on the bolts as shown in Figure 6 to prevent the nuts lo from working loose. The nuts 1c are preferably round and provided with notches to permit them to be tightened or loosened by means of a tubulark Spanner. By thus constructing the nuts they are not so likely to be removed or loosened by an unauthorized person, since a special tool is necessary for this purpose. In order to prevent any likelihood of the post slipping down in the foot,'a metal bar m passes under the lowerend of the post or pole and has its hooked ends engaged with the bolts 7c between the members of the sheath or foot, as clearly shown in Figure 6.

Instead of providing the members of the sheath or foot with apertured flanges, the members of the sheath are provided with a single enlargement a4, b* and are secured to the post or pole by metallic members c, corresponding in shape to the members of the sheath or foot and having flanged and apertured ends to receive a clam ing bolt 102, may be employed as shown in Figures 2 and 2a. By thus constructing the foot, longitudinal passages will be formed between the foot and post or pole for the free circulation of air to dry the post or pole and thereby prevent decay.

The electric iron pole C shown in Figure 3 may be provided with a shoe as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

The she-ath or foot may be made of a single tubular member cl with an enlargement cl2 at its upper end, as shown in Figures 4 and 4:, and will preferably be so made for posts and poles having a symmetrical shape. The sheath or foot d has a conical inner face, and the post or pole is given a tapering lower end and `the tapered end is so formed that spaces will bevleft between ythe pole or post and the sheath or foot, so that. water running down the side of the post or pole can pass down through the sheath or foot into the ground. The sheath or foot is. se cured to the post or pole by wedges f driven between the sheath or foot and post or pole. The sheath or foot is rovided with a plurality of openings p a jacent the lower end of the postor pole, so as to produce with the spaces between the wedges, a circulation of air and thereby'facilitating the drying ofthe post or p'ol'e and preventing decay.

The iron pole D in Figure 5 is provided with a 'sheath or foot 'similar to that shown in Figure 4. The shea'ths or Ifeet vwill preferably be reinforced by metallic bars g as shown in Figure 4, and it is to lbe understood-that they may be made of any desired shape.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A foot for posts or poles comprising a tubular sheath formed intermediate its c lengt-h. with a tapering internal' wall and with a lateral airopeningabove 1the l'e'velof the lower end of the taperingfportion oitthe inner wall oi 'the sheath, said sheath being adapted to receive 'the lower'end portion of apost or pole, said post or pole resting at .its lower end. upon the tapering inner wall of the sheath above said lateral opening for air, and. means between said post or pole and said sheath for spacing said post or pole from the sheath to provide a continuous air passage extending within the sheath from the. upper end of thel latter to said lateral air opening.

2. A foot for posts r poles comprising a tubular sheath formed intermediate its length with a -tapering internal wall and with a lateral airl opening above the l'evelof the lower end of the tapering portion of the inner wall of the sheath,jsaid Asheath being adapted to receive the lower end portion of a post or pole, said post for pole resti-ng at itslower end upon the tapering inner wall of the sheath `above said lateral opening for air, and an annular series of wedges `yrinserted between the inner wall of the upper end' portion 'of the sheathfand the post or pole to space said post or pole fromV the inner wall of the sheath from th-e upper end ofthe latter below the level of said lateral air opening.

' In testimony I have hereuntol set my hand at Nantes (France) this '20-th day of July 192i. A I

' LEoN PONSOLLE 

